01 May The best exercise for you
I’m on a health journey. You probably are too, if you’re reading this. That means I’ve been trying to regain health for awhile. Part of that means I try to optimize my exercise and movement. So I’ll share my exercise journey.
Not much to report from childhood–no real sports or activities. But in my twenties, I discovered dance. I took ballet, jazz, and modern dance. I loved it. It was such a stress reliever from my high pressure job of teaching 31 inner city kids. This taught me a lot about how the body can gain strength and flexibility, and the importance of posture.
Once I had babies in my thirties, I moved to step aerobics and I regret that. I had to quit because my knees began to hurt. And guess what, they still hurt to this day, years later. So I swore I wouldn’t try an exercise program that wasn’t tried and true. That led to yoga, which is over a thousand years old. It reminded me of dance in that I used every muscle in my body, and I could adapt it exactly to my abilities at the time. It also worked on strength and flexibility.
I can’t forget to mention walking. I’ve always walked, in the park, with my dog, on the beach, anywhere. Walking is easy to fit in any schedule, low cost, and a great way to get in nature and in the sun, both important for good health. I still walk now. I have tried running mixed with walking, but it’s not for me. I used to have asthma symptoms, and I already mentioned my knees. These aren’t a concern with walking.
And I have a reason to keep walking. It’s so I can walk, or actually dance, for six or seven miles during carnival parades here in New Orleans. I love dancing with a women’s dancing group. We practice in the fall and winter so I get to dance again. Yes! I didn’t realize how much I missed that. Notice how fun and friendship keep me motivated.
Last year I went through a spell of no yoga or much of anything. I had symptoms that made exercising uncomfortable. I started feeling my strength evaporate. Then, when I tried doing any exercise at all, I’d feel wiped out. OK, now what do I do? I didn’t want to live my life from a couch. My solution was to start super slow weight lifting. It was invented for elderly women (I’m not elderly yet, but I’m certainly not young) so I knew it could work for someone out of shape. And it’s been great. It only takes a half hour and it takes a whole week to recover because the lifting is so intense. And now I have the strength and endurance to resume yoga.
The best exercise for you
Walking. Our ancestors probably walked 17,000 steps a day. So now aiming for 10,000 doesn’t seem so bad, now, does it? Everyone should walk, even if it’s just around your home or workplace.
Cardio. Exercise that has continuous movement is usually considered cardio, as it gets you breathing hard and sweating. As you work your muscles, you improve your aerobic capacity. Cardio is great for health, but don’t think you can cardio out of a bad diet. Just eat real food and this won’t be an issue.
HIIT. Or, high intensity interval training. This is cardio taken up a level. You push yourself to your highest intensity for a couple minutes and then spend about twice that time moving at a low intensity to recover. You repeat this cycle for about 10 to 20 minutes. That’s a good timesaver. I found this a little difficult to maintain, but many of you might really like it.
Resistance training. Also known as lifting heavy things. And a big bonus of resistance is that your muscles will burn energy and help you manage your weight long after your exercise session is over. It also gives your body a toned and pleasing shape. My preference is super slow but there all kinds of strategies to use. A trainer or even an app can guide you. And new research is showing you can do light lifting in short spurts throughout the day and get excellent results. You could intersperse your day with some body weight exercises like squats.
Stretching, balance, and posture. Yoga is the perfect solution for this. But it’s not the only way. Many good exercise classes include this. And while you’re considering classes, the dance exercise classes like Zumba and Jazzercise are very fun and help you really sweat. And Pilates is great for everything, especially posture.
So ideally you will have strength, cardio, and stretching in your exercise program. As you plan your program, don’t forget recovery, usually a day or two. Recovery is when your body repairs and rebuilds. That’s when the magic happens so you shouldn’t skimp on it. And don’t overdo a session. During cardio, you should be able to talk. Doing too much raises cortisol which is damaging.
Also part of planning is to get in a routine. If you have to make a decision to exercise, you might decide not to. It also helps to plan a backup strategy. Like, if I can’t exercise before work, then I’ll walk at lunch. If I can’t walk at lunch, I’ll ride an exercise bike before dinner. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Exercise won’t just happen. Not with today’s hectic lifestyles.
If you need help getting your exercise program going, talk to me. I know how to motivate you and help you find the exercise that’s the most fun for you. I can help you optimize all your lifestyle choices. Let me be your cheerleader. Contact me and let’s see if I can be your health coach.
Comments: What’s the best exercise for you?
Dance Magazine: Dance as Exercise
Livestrong: Cardio
Dr. Hyman: You Can’t Exercise Out of a Bad Diet
WebMD: Yoga
Dr. Mercola: Super Slow
Dr. Mercola: High Intensity Interval Training
Mark’s Daily Apple: Personalizing Fitness
This article is for information purposes only. See Disclaimer below.
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